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Case TitleSayed v. Maritime Administration
DistrictDistrict of Massachusetts
CityBoston
Case Number1:2021cv11891
Date Filed2021-11-22
Date Closed2023-05-08
JudgeJudge Allison D. Burroughs
PlaintiffWaleed Sayed
PlaintiffAlabama Shipyard, LLC
Case DescriptionWaleed Sayed submitted a FOIA request to the Maritime Administration for records concerning the certification status of the Floating Dry Dock "Alabama." The agency acknowledged receipt of the request. The agency disclosed two pages. Sayed filed an administrative appeal. After hearing nothing further from the agency, Sayed filed suit.
Complaint issues: Failure to respond within statutory time limit, Litigation - Attorney's fees

DefendantMaritime Administration
DefendantWitness
Alabama Shipyard, LLC
Documents
Docket
Complaint
Complaint attachment 1
Complaint attachment 2
Complaint attachment 3
Complaint attachment 4
Complaint attachment 5
Complaint attachment 6
Opinion/Order [24]
User-contributed Documents
 
Docket Events (Hide)
Date FiledDoc #Docket Text

2021-11-221COMPLAINT against Maritime Administration Filing fee: $ 402, receipt number AMADC-9066713 (Fee Status: Filing Fee paid), filed by Waleed Sayed. (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit A, # 2 Exhibit B, # 3 Exhibit C, # 4 Exhibit D, # 5 Civil Cover Sheet, # 6 Category Form)(Bingham, Neal). (Entered: 11/22/2021)
2021-11-222ELECTRONIC NOTICE of Case Assignment. Judge Allison D. Burroughs assigned to case. If the trial Judge issues an Order of Reference of any matter in this case to a Magistrate Judge, the matter will be transmitted to Magistrate Judge Donald L. Cabell. (Finn, Mary) (Entered: 11/22/2021)
2021-11-223Summons Issued as to Maritime Administration. Counsel receiving this notice electronically should download this summons, complete one for each defendant and serve it in accordance with Fed.R.Civ.P. 4 and LR 4.1. Summons will be mailed to plaintiff(s) not receiving notice electronically for completion of service. (de Oliveira, Flaviana) (Entered: 11/22/2021)
2021-12-154AFFIDAVIT OF SERVICE Executed by Waleed Sayed. Maritime Administration served on 12/2/2021, answer due 12/23/2021. Acknowledgement filed by Waleed Sayed. (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit A, # 2 Exhibit B, # 3 Exhibit C, # 4 Exhibit D)(Bingham, Neal) (Entered: 12/15/2021)
2021-12-295NOTICE of Appearance by Michael Fitzgerald on behalf of Maritime Administration (Fitzgerald, Michael) (Entered: 12/29/2021)
2021-12-296Defendant's ANSWER to 1 Complaint, by Maritime Administration.(Fitzgerald, Michael) (Entered: 12/29/2021)
2022-01-057Judge Allison D. Burroughs: ELECTRONIC ORDER entered. The parties shall submit a joint proposed schedule by 1/19/22 and indicate whether they object to the court setting a schedule on the written submission. (Folan, Karen) (Entered: 01/05/2022)
2022-01-178First MOTION for Extension of Time to February 2, 2022 to File joint submission by Waleed Sayed.(Bingham, Neal) (Entered: 01/17/2022)
2022-01-189Judge Allison D. Burroughs: ELECTRONIC ORDER entered granting 8 Motion for Extension of Time February 2, 2022 to File joint submission. (Folan, Karen) (Entered: 01/18/2022)
2022-02-0210RESPONSE TO COURT ORDER by Maritime Administration re 7 Order, 9 Order on Motion for Extension of Time Filed Jointly . (Fitzgerald, Michael) (Entered: 02/02/2022)
2022-02-1411Judge Allison D. Burroughs: ELECTRONIC ORDER entered. The Court has reviewed the parties’ statement regarding scheduling. [ECF No. 10 ]. Plaintiff Waleed Sayed seeks limited discovery, while Defendant U.S. Maritime Administration argues that discovery is not necessary at this time and requests that it be allowed to file its motion for summary judgment and supporting declaration by March 21, 2022. [ Id. ]. Plaintiff brings this suit pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act (“FOIA”). [ECF No. 1]. “FOIA cases are typically decided on motions for summary judgment.” Am. C.L. Union Found., Inc. v. United States Dep’t of Educ. , 320 F. Supp. 3d 270, 276 (D. Mass. 2018). “Affidavits submitted by an agency [at the summary judgment stage] are accorded a presumption of good faith,... [and] accordingly, discovery relating to the agency’s search and the exemptions it claims for withholding records generally is unnecessary if the agency’s submissions are adequate on their face .” Carney v. U.S. Dep’t of Just. , 19 F.3d 807, 812 (2d Cir. 1994) (emphasis added). Although Plaintiff cites to many cases to support his claim that discovery is appropriate at this stage of the case, [ECF No. 10 at 3–4], generally speaking, those cases actually demonstrate that courts typically do not allow discovery until at least the agency’s summary judgment motion and supporting affidavits have been filed and ultimately do not support his position that discovery should proceed at this time. See, e.g. , Am. C.L. Union of Massachusetts, Inc. v. U.S. Immigr. & Customs Enf’t , 448 F. Supp. 3d 27, 44 (D. Mass. 2020) (allowing discovery after denying summary judgment motion). Accordingly, this case will proceed as follows: (1) any motions for summary judgment are due by April 6, 2022 ; (2) the deadlines for oppositions and replies to any motions for summary judgment are governed by Local Rule 56.1; and (3) if factual issues come “to fruition subsequent to the filing of a summary judgment motion,” the Court reserves the right to permit discovery, either sua sponte or at the request of a party. See Church of Scientology of Bos. v. I.R.S. , 137 F.R.D. 201, 202 (D. Mass. 1991). (McManus, Caetlin) (Entered: 02/14/2022)
2022-04-0612MOTION for Summary Judgment by Maritime Administration.(Fitzgerald, Michael) (Entered: 04/06/2022)
2022-04-0613MEMORANDUM in Support re 12 MOTION for Summary Judgment filed by Maritime Administration. (Fitzgerald, Michael) (Entered: 04/06/2022)
2022-04-0614Statement of Material Facts L.R. 56.1 re 12 MOTION for Summary Judgment filed by Maritime Administration. (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit Declaration)(Fitzgerald, Michael) (Entered: 04/06/2022)
2022-04-2715Opposition re 12 MOTION for Summary Judgment filed by Waleed Sayed. (Bingham, Neal) (Entered: 04/27/2022)
2022-04-2716Statement of Material Facts L.R. 56.1 re 12 MOTION for Summary Judgment filed by Waleed Sayed. (Bingham, Neal) (Entered: 04/27/2022)
2022-04-2717AFFIDAVIT in Opposition re 12 MOTION for Summary Judgment filed by Waleed Sayed. (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit A)(Bingham, Neal) (Entered: 04/27/2022)
2022-05-0618Assented to MOTION for Extension of Time to May 25, 2022 to File Response/Reply by Maritime Administration.(Fitzgerald, Michael) (Entered: 05/06/2022)
2022-05-0619Judge Allison D. Burroughs: ELECTRONIC ORDER entered granting 18 Assented to MOTION for Extension of Time to May 25, 2022 to File Response/Reply , 12 MOTION for Summary Judgment Replies due by 5/25/2022. (Folan, Karen) (Entered: 05/06/2022)
2022-05-2520REPLY to Response to 12 MOTION for Summary Judgment filed by Maritime Administration. (Fitzgerald, Michael) (Entered: 05/25/2022)
2022-06-0321Assented to MOTION for Leave to File Sur-Reply by Waleed Sayed. (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit A)(Bingham, Neal) (Entered: 06/03/2022)
2022-06-0622Judge Allison D. Burroughs: ELECTRONIC ORDER entered granting 21 Motion for Leave to File Document ; Counsel using the Electronic Case Filing System should now file the document for which leave to file has been granted in accordance with the CM/ECF Administrative Procedures. Counsel must include - Leave to file granted on (date of order)- in the caption of the document. (Folan, Karen) (Entered: 06/06/2022)
2022-06-0623SUR-REPLY to Motion re 12 MOTION for Summary Judgment filed by Waleed Sayed. (Bingham, Neal) (Entered: 06/06/2022)
2022-12-2724Judge Allison D. Burroughs: MEMORANDUM AND ORDER on Defendant's Motion For Summary Judgment. For the reasons stated herein, the Court finds that MARAD has failed to establish that it made a good faith effort to conduct a search for the requested records, using methods reasonably expected to locate such information, and therefore DENIES its motion for summary judgment. [ECF No. 12 ]. The Court further permits the discovery requested by Plaintiff in the joint response to the Court’s order. See [ECF No. 10 at 5]. SO ORDERED. (McManus, Caetlin) (Entered: 12/27/2022)
2023-03-2025NOTICE of Appearance by Olaf Aprans on behalf of Alabama Shipyard, LLC (Aprans, Olaf) (Entered: 03/20/2023)
2023-03-2026MOTION to Quash Document Subpoena by Alabama Shipyard, LLC.(Aprans, Olaf) (Entered: 03/20/2023)
2023-03-2027MEMORANDUM in Support re 26 MOTION to Quash Document Subpoena filed by Alabama Shipyard, LLC. (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit 1, # 2 Exhibit 2)(Aprans, Olaf) (Entered: 03/20/2023)
2023-04-0328RESPONSE to Motion re 26 MOTION to Quash Document Subpoena filed by Waleed Sayed. (Bingham, Neal) (Entered: 04/03/2023)
2023-04-0729MOTION for Leave to File Reply in Support of Motion to Quash Third Party Subpoena by Alabama Shipyard, LLC. (Attachments: # 1 Exhibit (Draft Reply Memorandum))(Aprans, Olaf) (Entered: 04/07/2023)
2023-04-1030Judge Allison D. Burroughs: ELECTRONIC ORDER entered granting 29 Motion for Leave to File Reply ; Counsel using the Electronic Case Filing System should now file the document for which leave to file has been granted in accordance with the CM/ECF Administrative Procedures. Counsel must include - Leave to file granted on (date of order)- in the caption of the document. (Folan, Karen) (Entered: 04/10/2023)
2023-04-1031REPLY to Response to 26 MOTION to Quash Document Subpoena filed by Alabama Shipyard, LLC. (Aprans, Olaf) (Entered: 04/10/2023)
2023-05-0432Judge Allison D. Burroughs: ORDER entered granting 26 Motion to Quash Document Subpoena. For the reasons set forth below, the Court construes Alabama Shipyard's motion as a Motion for Reconsideration of the Court's Memorandum and Order on Defendant's Motion for Summary Judgment, [ECF No. 24 ], and GRANTS the motion. (McManus, Caetlin) (Entered: 05/04/2023)
2023-05-0833STIPULATION of Dismissal by Waleed Sayed. (Bingham, Neal) (Entered: 05/08/2023)
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by FOIA Project Staff
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